Gripping device for lift-cages.



C. RYDLEWSKI.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR LIFT QAGES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1914.

7 2 M M d e t n w a P A CELESTYN RYDLEWSKI, 0F POSEN, GERMANY.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR LIFT-CAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2?, 1917.

Application filed April 10, 1914, Serial No. 830,972.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CnLns'rYN RYDLEWSKI, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Posen, in the German Empire, have invented an Improved and Novel Gripping Device for Lift-Cages, of which the following is a specification.

ong the gripping devices that have become known up to now there are also such in which the grip pawls are connected with, and actuated by, weightlevers, but the many accidents occurring also with such safety devices prove the unreliability of same. They are, in fact, too complicated; they have too many transmission parts. These drawbacks are, however, obviated in my improved gripping device which forms the subject matter of the present invention and which is capable of stopping the cage of a lift or hoist or the like nearly in an instant by means of weight levers that are inserted between the rope and the grip pawls and are in immediate connection with the latter which in their turn are connected with auxiliary ropes that are wound up and unwound, together with the main rope and are capable of pulling the grippers in engagement with the toothed rails or racks, as is all more fully described hereinafter.

In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the combination and arrangement of parts in question, the grip pawls or grippersbeing in their normal or inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a similar representation, the grilppers being in their working position; an

Fig. 3 is a plan of the cage.

The cage is surrounded by a broad hoop iron 2 to which are affixed, upon the top of the cage, the two frames 3 serving each as a bearing for an axle 5 carrying a doublearmed lever 4;. Each lever is, at the one end, pointed to form a grip pawl 8, and at the other end the lever is enlarged to form a weight 6. The two weights 6 6 form the connecting links between the cage and the rope 7, and the two grippers 8 8 are connected, at 15, with two thin ropes 9 9 which,

normally, are not capable of changing the oblique position of the double-armed levers 4 in general and of the grip pawls 8 in particular. 12 is the drum for the rope 7 and 13 13 are the drums for the ropes 9 9. The three drums are secured to the same shaft (11). Each of the ropes 9 is provided either with a weight or poise 14 or. with a helical spring 16, which, however, is not under tension when the grippers are not in operative position (Fig. 1). The spring is then so-to-say slack, as is also the rope piece 9 between the weight or poise 14 and the place 15 of the grip pawl.

10 are the known toothed racks or rails cooperating with the grippers in the case of the rope 7 breaking (Fig. 2). In the same moment in which the weight levers become disengaged from the rope, they swing downward under the action of the thin ropes assisted by the shock caused by the snapping of the cable, raising thus the grippers which, consequently, become at once engaged with the racks 10 and stop the cage and prevent thus the accident otherwise occurring. The action of the weighted end of the levers 4 as stated above is assisted by the pull of the auxiliary ropes 9, as will be clear without any detailed description.

The object of the poise 14, or of the helical spring 16, is to prevent the slack ropes 9 to move too freely, =or oscillate respectively, when being unwound or wound up. As the tension of the ropes 9 is less than that of the rope 7 they are prevented from breaking together with the latter but remain in proper working order so as to assist the action of the weights 6, as described.

aving now described my invention, what I desire to secure by a patent of the United States is:

In a safety device for elevators, the com bination with racks, of a cage movable between said racks, a hoop iron surrounding said cage, bearings on said iron, shafts resting in said bearings, a hoisting cable for said cage, a cable drum, levers pivotally secured to said shafts, weights upon one end of said levers, chains connecting said weights with the end of said cable, claws at the opposite ends of said levers adapted to engage the teeth of said racks, drums upon cable into engagement with the teeth of the shaft of said cable drum, auxiliary said racks. 10 cables guided over said drums, and secured In testimony whereof I afiix my signature to the claw ends of said levers, means in in presence of two witnesses.

5 said, auxiliary cables for normally holding GELESTYN RYDLEWSKI.

the same under less tension than that pos- Witnesses: sessed by the main cable and adapted to lift ERNs'r KATz, said claws upon the breaking of said main MARTHA PRIENAs'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

